Daily Dialogue — December 23, 2011
Ebenezer Scrooge: These are garments, Mr. Cratchit. Garments were invented by the human race as a protection against the cold. Once purchased, they may be used indefinitely for the purpose for which they are intended. Coal burns. Coal is momentary and coal is costly. There will be no more coal burned in this office today, is that quite clear, Mr. Cratchit?
Bob Cratchit: Yes, Sir.
Ebenezer Scrooge: Now please get back to work before I am forced to conclude that your services here are no longer required.
– Ebenezer Scrooge (George C. Scott), Bob Cratchit (David Warner), A Christmas Carol (1984), screenplay by Roger O. Hirson, based on the novel by Charles Dickens
The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is Christmas conflict. Today’s suggestion is from Phil.
Trivia: The word “humbug” is misunderstood by many people, which is a pity since the word provides a key insight into Scrooge’s hatred of Christmas. The word “humbug” describes deceitful efforts to fool people by pretending to a fake loftiness or false sincerity. So when Scrooge calls Christmas a humbug, he is claiming that people only pretend to charity and kindness in an scoundrel effort to delude him, each other, and themselves. In Scrooge’s eyes, he is the one man honest enough to admit that no one really cares about anyone else, so for him, every wish for a Merry Christmas is one more deceitful effort to fool him and take advantage of him. This is a man who has turned to profit because he honestly believes everyone else will someday betray him or abandon him the moment he trusts them.
Dialogue On Dialogue: Usually the best conflict arises from characters who have a coherent world view and honestly believe what they believe bumping up against the rest of the world. This is a case in point.
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